The Morning Gift

By: Eva Ibbotson

Narrated by: Kate Lock

Ruth lives in Vienna and is wildly in love with Heini Radik, a brilliant young pianist. When Hitler’s forces invade, Ruth’s family flees to London, but she cannot get a passport.

Quin, a young professor and friend of the family, visits Ruth and offers a marriage of convenience. On their return to London, Quin begins to fall desperately in love with her. But then Heini turns up.…

©1993 Eva Ibbotson (P)2013 W F Howes Ltd

Okay

I didn't like the narrator. Her accents were hard to understand and some of her voices were down right irritating. I felt the end of the story was too quick trying to put all the strings together into one chapter. It really left me cold. I will never listen to this book again.

Wonderful story, Terrible Narration

I adore this book as well as any book written by Ibbotson. But I could not handle this narration. It would have been much better to do it without the terrible Austrian accent. Audible, please redo this book unabridged with a better narration!!!

narration distracting, DNF

Lovely novel but not a great audiobook in this case. Narrator’s accent and inflection give story a grating and infantilized feel that is difficult to overlook. Read it in print if possible.

There is also a much abridged version narrated by Willow Nash that is an enjoyable listen but only 3 hrs. https://www.audible.com/pd/B0030CE6VO?source_code=ASSORAP0511160006&share_location=pdp

Same Storyline

Would you say that listening to this book was time well-spent? Why or why not?

Yes, the characters are likable and it takes place during interesting times. It is however, the same plot as "The Secret Countess," "A Company of Swans" and "Magic Flutes." The leading man and woman are virtually interchangeable in all four books.

What was your reaction to the ending? (No spoilers please!)

It's a very satisfying ending.

How did the narrator detract from the book?

While does have a pleasant voice, she sounds like she's reading a bedtime story to a child. My biggest complaint is the way she voices the Austrian characters. They sound like Ludwig Von Drake. The children's voices sounded like Ludwig Von Drake on helium. I wanted to pull out my earbuds and stomp on them. The main character, Ruth, is supposed to have gone to an English school and had a Scottish governess. She has an English accent, with a slight "Aberdonian" lilt when she is upset. The narrator gives her a thick German accent. It's very distracting. I think she could be a good narrator, if she had more direction.

narrator

the reader's ghastly attempts at using different voices for characters spoil the reading.
nobody in the world talks like that.